WordPress as a Service
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1. Boston University uses WordPress for its largest websites and digital properties, with over 6,000 sites and 8-10 million monthly pageviews across the campus. 2. The university takes a centralized WordPress as a Service approach, with the sites organized and managed through the central IT department. 3. Key aspects of the WPaaS implementation include clear roles and expectations, transparency of capabilities, training, and delivering high quality support through a single codebase and consistent systems.
WordPress as a Service
- 1. WordPress as a Service A centralized approach to managing WordPress at Boston University #WPaaS
- 3. WP at Boston University • Large scale multi-site, multi-network install • Highest-traffic web properties all on WP • 8-10M pageviews per month across 6,369 sites • Deeply integrated with campus services (SSO, Profiles, Content Restriction, Calendar) • Managed through Central IT (“IS&T”) #WPaaS
- 4. 3 Key Components of a great enterprise WordPress installation #WPaaS
- 7. What is Software as a Service? 1 Application 2 Hosted Centrally 3 Managed 4 Turn-key #WPaaS
- 8. WP 💙 SaaS • It’s built for it! (Multisite) • Total control over the environment • One centralized place to support #WPaaS
- 9. WP & Higher Ed • It’s a service model we know & understand • Central IT is not the enemy • Siloed integrations can be tricky • Improved clarity of support roles #WPaaS
- 10. Our WP Platform From an organizational perspective #WPaaS
- 11. #WPaaS
- 12. Set clear expectations #WPaaS 1 2 3 4
- 13. Transparency of capabilities #WPaaS ✅ Akismet ✅ BU Access Control ✅ BU Alert ✅ BU Course Feeds ✅ BU Custom CSS Editor ✅ BU Front-end Library ✅ BU Includes ✅ BU Mobile ✅ BU Navigation ✅ BU Profiles ✅ BU Sharing ✅ BU Section Editing ✅ BU Slideshow ✅ BU Text Widget ✅ BU Training Manager ✅ BU Versions ✅ Content Banner ✅ Enable Media Replace ✅ Gravity Forms ✅ Link Lists ✅ Post Details ✅ Random Image ✅ Safe Redirect Manager ✅ WP LaTeX
- 14. Transparency of capabilities #WPaaS ✅ Akismet ✅ BU Access Control ✅ BU Alert ✅ BU Course Feeds ✅ BU Custom CSS Editor ✅ BU Front-end Library ✅ BU Includes ✅ BU Mobile ✅ BU Navigation ✅ BU Profiles ✅ BU Sharing ✅ BU Section Editing ✅ BU Slideshow ✅ BU Text Widget ✅ BU Training Manager ✅ BU Versions ✅ Content Banner ✅ Enable Media Replace ✅ Gravity Forms ✅ Link Lists ✅ Post Details ✅ Random Image ✅ Safe Redirect Manager ✅ WP LaTeX
- 15. #WPaaS
- 16. Clearly delineate roles #WPaaS 1 2 3 4
- 18. Provide stellar training #WPaaS 1 2 3 4
- 19. #WPaaS
- 20. Deliver top-quality service #WPaaS 1 2 3 4
- 21. Single Codebase. Consistent Voice.
- 22. Single Codebase. Consistent Voice.
- 23. Single Codebase. Consistent Voice.
- 24. Single Codebase. Consistent Voice.
- 25. Single Codebase. Consistent Voice.
- 27. Development • How do we maintain this SaaS model? • What tools do we use? #WPaaS
- 29. PROD • A multi-network multi-domain environment • Single version of code • Lots of mu-plugins that run on all sites • Common plugins activated per site #WPaaS
- 30. PROD THEMES • Two large framework themes • Responsive Framework • Flexi Framework • Custom/child themes • A distinct look for our high-traffic sites
- 31. TEST • Integration testing • Test new functionality • Matches PROD • Clone site tool • Easier duplication of PROD sites #WPaaS
- 32. DEVL • Developers work area • Separate networks and code for each developer • Single network for all designers • Clone site tool #WPaaS
- 33. SYST • Testing of system-level packages for the Sys Engineers • Allows Sys Engineers to work independently #WPaaS
- 34. Tools ⚒ #WPaaS
- 35. WP-Deploy • Build and Deployment tool with a web UI • Every deploy gets logged! • Configurations stored in Github repo, easily rebuild/deploy • Allows developers to manage WP packages (plugins, themes, core) • Integrates with Github to list branches/tags #WPaaS
- 36. WP-Deploy
- 37. Git • Gitflow process to manage features, hotfixes, releases to plugins • Github Pull requests to peer-review changes #WPaaS
- 38. Automation • TravisCI unit tests • Used to take us over 3-4 months to upgrade • Aiming to do upgrades within 2 months • New Relic alerts • Monitor overall performance based on WP response times • Monitor pages and APIs using Synthetics #WPaaS
- 39. Slack • Communication! • Glue that brings developers, designers, sys admins, IT team together • Different locations • Working remotely • Channels for each large project • Maintenance channels • New Relic alerts • Discuss broad changes or outages #WPaaS
- 40. AWS • Testing our open source plugins in vanilla WP installs • Testing plugins with newer versions of WP #WPaaS
- 41. WordPress as a Service • A centralized SaaS deployment is a sustainable, scalable model for WP for higher ed • Cross-departmental collaboration + careful planning • Automate, automate, automate • Our clients choose WordPress! #WPaaS ORGANIZATION OPERATIONS
- 42. Andrew Bauer Inder Singh #WPaaS @awbauer9 @inderpreet99 We’re hiring, contact us.